These torn vessels were subsequently tied into bunches that cascade down from the ceiling to the floor, in a manner reminiscent of the riches cascading out of a cornucopia, or “horn of plenty” – a symbol of abundance and wealth that dates back to Classical antiquity.

The image of overflowing riches may be related to the sensation provoked by cabinets of wonder, whose rich collections and array of rare objects were designed to reflect their owner’s wealth with a dazzling visual display of exotic specimens.

Yet in contrast to the exhibits in traditional cabinets of wonder, some of which were in fact fabricated (usually without the collector’s knowledge) in order to create fantastic creatures or objects, Abergel’s Fragments of a Structure That Did or Did Not Happen clearly attests to the objects used to create it, and to the process of their physical and spiritual deconstruction. The exposed inner structure of the vessels alludes to a process of introspection, as opposed to a focus on surface appearances.

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